As Spurs roll, Pop focuses on focus

By the time New Orleans forward David West threw in a jumper midway through the third quarter Sunday, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had seen enough.

He angrily signaled for a timeout, then proceeded to light into Tim Duncan, his captain and franchise player, whom West had stripped moments earlier. Duncan at first protested the tongue-lashing, then waved his hands in exasperation and headed to the bench. Popovich followed, still seething.

The scoreboard read Spurs 70, Hornets 49. The calendar read December. But Popovich was coaching as if it were a one-possession game in May.

What followed was as near to perfect as it gets. The Spurs broke the huddle and rattled off a 17-0 run to bury the Hornets en route to a 109-84 victory.

It wasn’t the first time Popovich challenged his team this season, even amid a franchise-best 18-3 start which the Spurs hope to extend tonight against an Atlanta club that hasn’t won in San Antonio in more than 13 years. It probably won’t be the last.

Even as the Spurs have stormed through their first 21 games with the NBA’s top record, Popovich’s focus has been on, well, focus.

“Nothing is good enough for Coach Pop,” guard George Hill said. “You could be up 30 and make a turnover, and he’ll get mad at you. That’s Coach Pop.”

“He just always wants us to be better,” Hill said. “Because it’s not this game we’re worried about. We’re worried about May and June.”

In Wednesday’s 111-94 win over Golden State, Popovich watched a lead that had been 19 points shrink to 12 after a sloppy offensive possession led to a Spurs turnover and a run-out dunk for Warriors guard Monta Ellis.

Timeout. Look out below.

Tim Duncan, shown dodging the Warriors’ David Lee on Wednesday, knows how to handle his coach’s criticism. (Billy Calzada/Express-News)

Popovich began by confronting Tony Parker, then turned to Duncan. “Run the play!” he barked at both all-stars, peppering in some salty language for effect.

Later, Parker grinned recounting the moment.

“I’m used to it after 10 years,” he said. “He wants to make sure we stay focused and not take anything for granted.”

And what did Parker do after that tense timeout?

“I ran the play,” Parker said. “Make sure you do what he says.”

In their own twisted way, Popovich’s players appreciate his willingness to ride all-stars as well as reserves, and the signal it sends to the end of the bench.

If Popovich holds a future first-ballot Hall of Famer like Duncan to such a standard, the less-established players tend to fall in line, too.

Not every NBA coach enjoys that luxury. If Miami coach Erik Spoelstra had challenged LeBron James the way Popovich challenged Duncan, the incident would have led the national highlight shows.

“Around the league, that’s something I know a lot of coaches are envious of — to be able to get on your star player like that, and have him receive it constructively,” Jefferson said. “That’s one of the most underrated things about the San Antonio Spurs.”

Popovich’s recollection of the New Orleans timeout was a bit softer around the edges.

“I just asked the guys if they didn’t mind, if we could go ahead and get aggressive again, that would be OK with me,” Popovich said. “They said, ‘Sure, Pop. We can do that.’

“It was all very friendly. Kind of a ‘Kumbaya’ sort of thing.”

As the season moves along, and especially if the Spurs keep winning, players are braced for more “Kumbaya” moments.